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Today Sunday, June 19, 2016 is Father’s Day…a day of honor and celebration for our dads and fathers. Not all fathers are dads nor are all dads fathers. Each holds a special place in a child’s, teen’s or adult’s heart. Regardless of the role—dad, father or both—not any one of us could be here without having been fathered. With fatherhood comes a tremendous responsibility encompassing tasks of sharing, caring and preparing for life’s journey.

May this Father’s Day be filled with wondrous blessings that continue through each day of the year! To each of you…A Father’s Day Salute!

It’s being thankfulGratitude of heartKnowing what you need(when you need it)Right from the start

It’s together time

The thrill of hearty laughter

Seeing what you’re going through

(even if it doesn’t show)

The morning of the day after

It’s helping with decisionsStaying taut through outs or insTeaching life’s not easy(taking the right road)Supporting losses and wins

It’s hurting and being hurtHolding discipline’s place
Leaving behind a legacy(not of material ‘things’)Rewards of saving grace

*It’s compassion and comfort
When a hug is all that’s needed
Priceless moments in time(Teddy Bear hugs)
Quickly and tenderly heeded
It’s shaping, moldingEach life that has begunMaking an investment(often without return)
‘Til the full course is run

It’s when having to leaveLooking back with prideReleasing all the tears(happiness and heartache)Bottled up inside

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Hello, everyone! Just a quick post to let you know catnip will be purr-r-r-r-r-laxing for a couple of weeks. Heading south to visit middle daughter and family. With the change in seasons, wish it were north for the fall colors but South Florida is beckoning…come home!

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Catnip’s motto boasts to Observe life at its best, listen to life’s songs, embrace life’s bounties, breathe the breath of life and savor life to its fullest! This cannot be epitomized in any better way than through the miracle of birth.

She’s born.
A new life has arrived.
Agony of pain gone.

She enters the world screaming
This new life, miracle of birth
A beautiful song, a new beginning

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This day is not about inconveniencing others but taking a good look at what can happen when you take a few extra moments or steps that inconvenience yourself but help others. This unique holiday asks people to pause during their busy day looking for opportunities to do something nice for someone else, practicing common courtesy, or acknowledging the positive actions of others. Something that actually should come as natural as breathing but unfortunately has lost a lot of steam because people just don’t take the time or think only of themselves.

It doesn’t matter where we are or what we are doing, there is always someone somewhere watching. We should use our own actions to encourage others to pay attention to their actions, understand how those actions affect others, and adjust which actions have a negative impact on people they encounter. It’s all about paying forward a little inconvenience making it convenient for others!

Here is a snapshot. Picture yourself in a hurry. You had to make a rush trip to the grocery store to pick up a needed item for dinner. You park your car and hurriedly head for the door. As you take a few steps away from your car you glance an aisle over and notice a shopping cart in the middle of the lot. An elderly lady had just struggled to step into her car with a couple of grocery bags in her arms. She started to back up and just in time noticed the cart blocking her movement. Was it there the whole time? Did she just not see it? Did someone close to her leave it as she was getting into her own car? She sighed. Just as she was about to get out of her car to move the cart you intervene with a big smile as you walk a few car lengths out of your way to move the cart and return it where it belongs. What did you receive in return? The biggest smile ever of appreciation and gratitude. It doesn’t get better than that!

Today don’t be sorry for any inconvenience…turn your inconvenience into opportunity to help someone else! The concept is simple. The idea is embraceable. Think more about how your actions impact others . . . regardless of age.

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Did you know that most households in the United States have at least
one pet? Approximately 39% of US households own at least one dog and
33% own at least one cat. Pets provide wonderful companionship and can
actually help decrease blood pressure and stress.

A little more to the right pur-r-r-r-r-eaze!

Today is the official day for pampering your pet with a little extra love and affection to show him or her just how much you care. Give your pet a favorite treat (maybe even 2, 3, more…), provide conversation with music in the background, buy your furry friend a new outfit (dogs, yes, cats, um-m-m-m?), groom away the tangled fur with extra attention around the ears, treat the ‘little’ guy or gal like a celebrity!

Thank you for my fur-tastic bed!

So whether you have a cat, dog, hamster, rabbit, bird, reptile, or goldfish, or any combination shower them all with love and affection today! Just curl up next to one (or more if you did not stop with only one) and make this an arf-fully, purr-fectly wonderful day.

How can it get any better than this?

Smile! Happy Love Your Pet
Day!

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It Matters Radio Halloween Special was a huge success! If you missed the show, go to Awakenings and listen to the show. By the way, my little short story, The Haunting, won first place! Listen, if you dare, to chilling tales by authors, Sharla Shults, Simon, Rogghe, Cynthia Ainesworthe, Phil Richardson, Ingrid Ringler, Danny P. Barbare, Caleb Puckett and Micki Peluso. Also featured is music from the UK by Mark Handley and the Bone Idols.

Listen if you da-r-r-r-r-r-re!

Sharla Shults‘s insight:

Great horror stories are loved every single day of the year! Who says they are limited to only Halloween? Not me!